Renault Kadjar long-term report

Sarah Bradley - Autocar

Left to its own devices, the dual-clutch EDC automatic transmission fitted in our long-term Renault Kadjar isn’t great at combining maximum economy with engagement behind the wheel.

If you try to drive the car gently – and thus economically – in full self-shifting mode, it holds on to its gears for too long for our liking. For first ratio, that means until around 15mph and 2,200 rather unrefined revs per minute. Not great for driving involvement.

True, the trans does have an Eco mode, which allows it to change up sooner, but it’s still not as early as we’d like – and the throttle response is disappointingly woolly.

We’d rather leave the box in Normal mode and, using the stick, take over manual control, accelerate carefully on a gentle throttle and change up as early as we can – which ideally means shifting into second at 8mph and 1200rpm. That way, we can make the most of every gallon, while the boosted interaction means we still feel as though we’re in charge.